Spurs to sign Josh Howard
He will sign a non-guaranteed deal.
The Spurs’ quixotic search for a backup small forward took a left turn Friday, as the team moved to sign 10-year veteran Josh Howard to a non-guaranteed contract, NBA sources say.
The deal is expected to be finalized sometime this afternoon.
For the Spurs, it is a low-risk move that will require patience if it is to pay off. In fact, there is a good chance the 6-foot-7 Howard will not open the season on the Spurs’ 15-man roster.
Howard is 33 and coming off his second major knee surgery in less than three years, having had his feel-good comeback in Minnesota sidetracked by a torn ACL in his right knee last December.
As such, it is likely the next step in Howard’s journey might come not in San Antonio, but a few miles up Interstate-35 inAustin.
NBA rules allow a team’s final three cuts of the preseason to be allocated to the Development League club of its choosing. If the Spurs were to waive Howard before Nov. 1, they could place him in Austin – provided he signs a D-League contract – and monitor his progress there.